Method of and means for treating articles of celluloid and the like



Feb. 17, 1931. 5 NElDlCH 1,792,654

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR TREATING ARTICLES OF CELLULOID AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 18, 1929 FIG.

Y W Wa /i Patented Feb. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES SAMUEL A. NEIDICH, OF EDGEWATER PARK, NEW JERSEY METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR TREATING ARTICLES OF CELLULOID AND THE LIKE Application filed January 18, 1929. Serial No. 333,355.

My invention relates to products of cellulose, such as celluloid, cellulose nitrate, cellulose acetate and the like, and the ultimate object thereof is to impose a pattern upon an article of such material; particularly tubes for the bodies and caps of fountain pens, pencils, and the like.

As hereinafter described, an essential feature of my invention is progressively contact- 0 ing and releasing a pattern element, relative to the region of the article upon which the pattern is to be imposed, and such pattern element may be a perforated tube encircling such article; the relative progression of the element and article being rotary, and the progressive contacting and releasing thereof being eflected by relative movement of the respective axes of rotation of the pattern element and article.

My invention includes the various novel features of such method and means hereinafter more definitely specified.

In said drawings, Fig. I is a diagrammatic end elevation of convenient means for effect- 2 ing said method.

Fig. II is a diagrammatic side elevation of a convenient form of rotary holder means adapted for turning the article indicated in Fig. I.

Referring to Fig. I, the article to be patterned is a rotary tube 1 and the pattern element is a rotary tube 2, mounted to turn upon respectively different axes, with said pattern element encircling said article. Said pattern element 2 may be formed of perforated sheet metal, or any other suitable material which is resilient enough to frictionally engage the surface of said article 1 when the axis of rotation of said pattern element is shifted to the right in Fig. I by the pressure of the idle roller 3 which is carried on the rock shaft 4 j ournaled in the frame 5; the latter being fulcrumed at 6 and adapted to be rocked by the flexible connector 7 leading to the operating lever 9 which is fulcrumed at Such intimate contact of the pattern element 2 with the surface of the article 1 to be marked is essential to sharply define the 0 outlineof the area marked. Such outline 1s blurred if said element and article are not in contact when the pattern material is applied.

Said pattern element may be released from contact wit-h the article 1 by reverse, upward, movement of said lever 9 which permits the axis of rotation of said pattern element to shift to the left, in Fig. I, relative to the axis of rotation of the article 1.

The pattern may be imposed upon said article 1 by material 12 applied thereto thru the perforations of said pattern element 2. For instance, such material may be in fluid form and projected under pressure from a conduit 13. For instance, such material 12 may be a dye resisting medium such as paraffin or other waxy substance adapted to be temporarily retained upon the surface of the article 1 while the latter is exposed to dye stuff which penetrates the article where it is not masked by the waxy material.

However, the material 12 may be a dye mordant or dye stuff and be directly applied to the regions of the article 1 which are exposed thru the pattern element 2. Any suitable solvent for the cellulose product may be used as such a mordant. For instance, the effect thereof may be to soften the exposed surfaces of the celluloid or the like to which the solvent is applied. so that the surfaces thus treated are readily penetrable by dye stuffs which are non-penetrating with respect to the untreated material. In fact, dye stuffs which are classed as non-penetrating with respect to such cellulose products, may be caused to penetrate and dye the same when mixed with a suitable solvent thereof and ap plied as indicated at 12 in Fig. I.

In any case, I find it convenient to control the application of the material 12 to and thru the pattern element-2. by means of a shield 15 having a restricted opening 16 for the passage of the material 12.

Referring to Fig. II; the article 1 may be a fountaimpen body or cap tube mounted upon a mandrel 18 which is detachably engaged between the head stock 19 and the tail stock 20, the latter being normally spring pressed toward the head stock 19 by the spring 21 but being retractable by the knob 22. Said head stock 19 may be slowly rotated by its shaft merely rotary, as above contemplated, or may he in the direction of the length of said article, or such relative movement may be both transverse and longitudinal with respect to the length of the article. Moreover, the pattern element may be in the form of a plane Y sheet 30 mounted in the holder 31 and having attern perforations 32 and which may be shifted by hand, or by any suitable means, to successively contact with and be released from the article to be patterned. v

Therefore, I do not desire to limit myself to the precise details of construction and arrangement herein set forth, as it is obvious that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the essential features of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim: v

1. The method of imposing-a pattern upon an article of cellulosic material, which in- 4. Apparatus as in claim 3; wherein both holding means are rotary, and the relative movement thereof is circumferential.

5. Means for imposing a pattern upon an article of cellulosic material including a rotary holder adapted for turning such article; and a rotary tubular pattern element, mounted to turn around said article.

6. Apparatus as in claim 5; wherein the pattern element is perforated; means, including a conduit for forcing material upon the article thru the perforations of said pattern element; and means including a shield limiting the area of the pattern element accessible to such material.

7. Apparatus as in claim 5; including means for alternately shifting the pattern element to and from contact with the article, including a roller extending in said pattern element and means for pressing said roller against the inner wall of said pattern element and retracting said roller.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Burlington, New Jersey, this 15th day of January, 1929.

SAMUEL A. NEIDIGH.

eludes progressively contacting and releasing a pattern element, relative to the region of the article to be patterned, in an intermittent manner during the patterning of the surface of said article, so that the pattern element is alternately in contact with said article and out of contact with any part of said article whereby the outline of said pattern is sharply defined upon said article wherein the relative progression of the pattern element and article is rotary.

2. The method of imposing a pattern upon an article of cellulosic material, which includes progressively contacting and releasing a pattern element, relative to the region of the article to be patterned, in an intermittent manner during the patterning of the surface of said article, so that the pattern element is alternately in contact with said article and out of contact with any part of said article whereby the outline of said pattern is sharply defined upon said article wherein the article and the pattern element are independently rotary upon different axes; and the progressive contacting and releasing thereof is eflectedby relative movement of such axes.

3. Means for imposing a pattern upon an article of cellulosic material; including means ,for holding suc'h article; and means for holding a pattern element in cooperative rela tion therewith; said holding means being relatively 'movable, to progressively bring said pattern element and article into contact and to release them for independent relative movement; so that said pattern element is alternately incontact with said article and out of .contact with any part of said article during the patterning operation. 

